GUEST POST: 3 SUPER EASY VEGAN RECIPES FOR SUMMER BY JOE HUGHES

June 18, 2017

I love collaborating with different people in the field and, for this post, I was lucky enough to collaborate with Joe Hughes, of the popular website the Sous Vide Wizard. I asked him for recipes my ladies would love – clean ingredients, plant-based and easy. He sure did deliver! Joe is serving us up with three vegan recipes that are quick, easy and perfect for the summer weather.

I tried out the tomato and basil salad and I can verify it’s quite tasty! Enjoy!

Learn more about Joe at the end of this post. 🙂

When the weather heats up, I reach for simple, cool and light meals to keep me going. When dinner comes together in ten minutes or less, I can soak up every last second of sunlight.

These three vegan recipes are super easy and perfect for summer. And they’re so tasty, even the carnivores in your life will love them.

TOMATO BASIL SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Tomato and basil are a match made in heaven. Add balsamic vinegar, and you have the Mediterranean in a bowl. This salad is light and flavorful, and the addition of chickpeas makes it filling enough to keep you satisfied. The flavors really pop if you use fresh tomatoes and basil right from the garden.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, and mix to combine well.

Add all vinaigrette ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender, and give it a quick whirl. Alternatively, you can whisk together the ingredients.

Pour the dressing over the salad mixture, and mix until well combined.

Simple, light and satisfying, this salad is perfect for an evening meal after a hot summer day. If you prefer, you can use balsamic reduction instead of regular balsamic vinegar. Just be mindful of the sugar content, as the reduction can be quite sweet.

SOUTHWEST STUFFED SWEET POTATO

Fresh and flavorful, this southwest stuffed sweet potato is a lighter take on comfort food. It’s packed with healthy ingredients, like kale and beans, and it’s topped with a creamy avocado dressing that’s oh-so delicious.

Ingredients

For the Sweet Potatoes:

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 cup black beans

1 bunch kale, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)

1 tbsp. coconut oil

For the Dressing:

1 ripe avocado

Juice of 1 lemon

5 tbsp. water

1/4 cup basil

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup chives

1/4 cup green onions

Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork, drizzle them both with olive oil, and wrap in aluminum foil.

Cook in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Toss all ingredients into a food processor, and blend until smooth.

Heat a tbsp. of coconut oil over medium heat.

Add garlic and peppers, and cook until fragrant.

Add the kale along with 1/3 cup water.

Cover, and allow to cook for five minutes.

Uncover, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the kale reaches your desired texture.

Add the beans to the kale mixture, and cook until warm.

Slice each sweet potato lengthwise, taking care not to cut all the way in half.

Top with the kale/bean mixture.

Pour dressing on top of each sweet potato.

You’re sure to have leftover dressing, which you can add to salads for a creamy texture.

As for the beans, you can cook them yourself, or you can use canned. I prefer to cook them myself either on the stovetop or in my sous vide cooker. I like cooking with a sous vide for this recipe because it makes the beans ultra-soft and tender, but it certainly takes more time to go this route. Whichever method you use, make sure that you soak the beans overnight.

We like to top our potatoes with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

BANANA MANGO ‘NICE CREAM’

Nothing beats a cold dessert after a long day out in the sun. This vegan “nice cream” recipe uses two creamy summer fruits, and doesn’t require an ice cream maker. And here’s the best part: it takes less than five minutes to make.

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender (a food processor may also work).

Scoop into bowls.

Enjoy!

How easy is this vegan summer treat? Feel free to add healthy toppings, like chia seeds, hemp seeds or fresh fruit. Blueberries or raspberries would add some extra sweetness and color.

These three vegan recipes are super easy, healthy and satisfying – a winning combination in my book.

What are your favorite summer recipes?

MORE ABOUT JOE HUGHES

Joe Hughes, known by most as the Sous Vide Wizard, is an expert in the cooking technique known as sous vide. He runs the very popular website, https://sousvidewizard.com, which provides the latest sous vide industry news, techniques, tricks, and recipes. He can be reached at Joe@SousVideWizard.com